2013 Annual Report

2013 will forever be remembered as a year in which our community inspired and supported us at a whole new level. YouthCare was facing potential reductions in services associated with funding shifts, and our supporters rose to the occasion. More than ever before, our community dug deep to give, share, and advocate for homeless young people.

We could not be more grateful to our circle of friends for allowing YouthCare’s Young Adult Shelter, YouthBuild, and Street Outreach programs to keep up their vital work in Seattle. Our supporters include the City of Seattle, King County, the Raikes Foundation and, of course, the thousands of individuals whose tremendous generosity ensured that so many of Seattle’s homeless youth could access the services they needed to move off the streets and work toward a more stable, secure future. Though the headlines predicted the worst, you stepped in to ensure the best for our young people.

In addition to this overwhelming outpouring of support, 2013 also marked the beginning of several important enhancements to our services. We expanded our partnership with Ryther (with whom we’ve worked for more than 30 years) to provide more mental health and chemical dependency counseling options for the youth we serve. We launched a new program aimed at supporting parents of youth at risk of homelessness and preventing young people from ever finding themselves on the streets. And, we helped a record number of young people obtain their GEDs thanks to our dedicated team of instructors, volunteer tutors, and generous funders.

Our local and regional collaboration and this community’s extraordinary commitment to addressing youth homelessness has helped us enter our 40th year stronger than ever. Your unflagging dedication allows us to plan for where we will be at 50 years, and beyond.

Thank you so much for your invaluable and ongoing partnership, friendship, and support.